


Love is a Home, Two Men, and Three Dogs

by tinyforestshark



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Dogs, Headaches & Migraines, Implied Sexual Content, Injury Recovery, It was so much fun though, M/M, McReverseBang_18, Trans McCree, bad joke hanzo, cause im unoriginal and this fic is a lot of references, poor self scheduling, puns, talking it out, the huskies are references, to my artists and my dogs, to my life, video games - Freeform, woodworking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-02 01:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15786360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyforestshark/pseuds/tinyforestshark
Summary: They ended up spending the rest of the afternoon on the couch playing video games or watching tv. Somehow during this, they had gravitated towards each other and were now sharing one blanket, passing the game controller back and forth between levels. McCree landed a skilled shot and he turned to Hanzo in his excitement only to be struck by how lovely the other man looked. Hanzo’s face was lit up by the bright screen, casting stark shadows across his face. Behind him, the rain poured across their yard giving off a dark blue glow.





	Love is a Home, Two Men, and Three Dogs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [makingbroculturegay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/makingbroculturegay/gifts).



> Ahhhhh im finally done!!!!!! This one was very long and difficult but I loved every second of it cause I adore this artist's work!! I'm so honored to write this fic for them so go check them out at robosthetique on tumblr or makingbroculturegay on ao3!!!!
> 
> Heres their matching art:  
> https://robosthetique.tumblr.com/post/177347638713/alright-i-can-finally-post-all-the-mcbigbang
> 
> A few notes:  
> Bӓrchen means Little Bear in german  
> and their injuries are:  
> McCree - Deadeye problems (overused, dry eye/headaches/migraines)  
> Hanzo - Wrist injury (broke during mission, hand gets sore, cant shoot like used to)

They had to wear suits. McCree hated wearing a suit. At least Hanzo looked good in his, despite the thick wrist brace still in place after his accident. McCree just felt like his didn’t sit right, uncomfortable in the formal wear. He was stuffed in like a sausage and only barely convinced Winston to let him keep his cowboy hat on. Hanzo’s honorary discharge ceremony went first, much to McCree’s relief. It was easier to go up and go through the process himself after seeing his best friend do it. They had grown close, bonding over shitty jokes and shittier booze over the years.

Hanzo was more of a jokester than people gave him credit for. People took one look at his resting bitch face and saw a dark and brooding guy, full of regrets about killing his brother and a difficult life of murder. Having a similar resting bitch face issue, McCree gave Hanzo a chance when he had first joined Overwatch and found a kindred spirit. Someone who had gone through many circumstances similar to his and came out of it with a terrible sense of humor, pride in his work, no matter how messy the work may be, and a “Too Old For This” attitude. Sometimes, they even engaged in a little mischief themselves. Whether it be some revenge on Genji for his pranks or pranking each other. They always managed to get each other to laugh. Today, though, McCree would argue that Hanzo went too far. If he wasn’t laughing, anyways.

Despite standing up on stage with many, _many_ cameras on him, McCree’s eyes quickly pick out Hanzo in the crowd, focusing on him to keep from being overwhelmed at the amount of people staring at him, knowing exactly _who_ he was.“Jesse McCree.” Winston starts and McCree’s eyes snap to him briefly, giving a small, warm smile, before returning to Hanzo, who seemed to be shuffling around to a good viewing position. “In honor of your bravery and community service,” McCree noticed Hanzo had pressed his thumbs into his ears and stuck his tongue out. He bit the inside of his cheek suddenly to stop the laughter bubbling up. “I hereby revoke your bounty,” That would be such a relieving sentence to hear if he wasn’t now holding his breath because Hanzo has pretended to pull an arrow back and shoot him with it. A few puffs of chuckles escape his lips. “And offer you this…”

Winston pauses and McCree’s eyes glance to him again, biting his lip apologetically. “Why are you laughing?” Winston grumbles curiously, too low to be picked up by his microphone, _thank goodness_. McCree just gives the most subtle head shake and Winston huffs before continuing “This medal. You are now honorably discharged from service. Thank you for your time and effort in keeping this world safe.” McCree kept his eyes determinedly off of Hanzo until all the posing and in-public part of the ceremony was over.

Once he was off the stage and Hanzo and him were not the center of attention, McCree punches Hanzo’s shoulder softly. “You little shit. I was havin’ a serious moment up there. Gettin’ a sixty million dollar bounty revoked and everythin’!” He would sound more irritated and Hanzo would look more guilty if they didn’t immediately break down into laughter. Both men agree to find a bar for a celebratory shot before returning to base to pack up.

One shot turns into six turned into a competition as usual and both men ended up using each other as support while walking back to base, loudly singing old 2000’s songs. They collapsed on the couch in the main common space and ended up in a post-drunk cuddle, still wearing their medals, bed-headed and asleep on the couch. In the morning, Genji stumbled across them on his way to breakfast. Before he woke them up, he took a photo of them with their drool covered cheeks squished together. He finally did wake them by smacking a pillow down on their faces. He made it up to them by getting some breakfast and water to dull their hangovers before rounding up a few people to help pack and get the stuff onto Lena’s plane.

They were being relocated to northern Idaho, near Kaniksu National Forest, a benign enough place that many people didn’t believe that that was where former Overwatch agents would go and quiet enough that it wasn’t much of a tourist spot anyways so people who did try to visit would not find much. They slept a bit on the plane, hoping their hangovers would clear out by the time they land. Genji waited until a few hours into their flight to send Hanzo the photo he took earlier. When he saw it, he flushed but still set the picture as McCree’s contact photo anyways.

McCree woke with a grumble, complaining about the long flight. He never did stay still easily and the plane, even though he slept during most of his time so far, was stifling. Hanzo pulled out a fresh, still wrapped deck of cards out of his bag and McCree very quickly accepted.

“Buy a new deck just for me?” He teased. Hanzo scoffed.

“If I didn’t, you would cheat.”

“You would too.” McCree jokes, a competitive glint in his eye.

Hanzo smirked. “Well, now, it’s a fair game.”

It was not fair. Both sides accused the other of cheating several times and once got in a heated argument about the rules. Hanzo eventually made the executive decision to put the cards away and ignore McCree’s subsequent pouting and complaints that he “was about to win”. Hanzo’s fairly certain that he wasn’t so he doesn’t even respond.

Moving into the little house was easy, getting settled was hard. Neither men trusted the security enough to really be comfortable until they convinced each other to head to the local hardware and electronics store to find some simple security measures like cameras and inconspicuous tools for tripwires. McCree made them stop by the nearest pharmacy to grab eye drops for his dry-eye and advil for his headaches. When he walked out of the store to look for Hanzo he found the other playing with the dogs on display at the neighboring store's "puppy day" adoption spree.

He walked over quietly, calmly watching Hanzo greet the dogs with cooing and showering each of them equally with attention and love. McCree shifted his bag to one hand and crouched by Hanzo to give some dogs a glancing pet. 

"Got what I need, we can head back now." He said softly. Hanzo frowned, paused, then set the dog he was currently holding down slowly. McCree suddenly felt guilty for saying that had to go but wasn't sure exactly why. They really should head back if they want to set up their defenses. McCree knew that Hanzo knew this.

The trip home was quiet and it ate at McCree until they got back. He tried not to storm through the front door in frustration and instead set the bag of stuff down gently on the table before pulling something out of it. "I got you this." He said, a little gruffly so he took a breath before speaking more softly. "Angela said you could switch to just a normal wrist brace in a couple weeks. I thought I'd get it for you while I was there so we don’t have to go back out again." Hanzo took the brace gently with a slight nod.

"Thank you, McCree. I appreciate your help." McCree just stared, unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong. He realized that he's going to be living with Hanzo for a while and if they have problems then they need to learn to talk them through. He swallowed and took a breath.

"Hanzo. Did I do somethin'?" Hanzo looked surprised at his question and shook his head. "You seem upset, was it somethin' to do with the dogs?" He tried again, relieved it wasn't his fault at least. Hanzo hesitated before nodding.

"I've wanted a dog since I was young. I kept being told that I could have one when I was older but then I was older and I had too many responsibilities to even consider it.” He huffed, clenching the brace a little tighter and continued with more tension in his voice, “Now, I'm free from all responsibilities but I do not know if you are willing to have a dog and it is unfair of me to ask when we are barely settled into our new living situation.” Hanzo took a calming breath and his frown faded a little. “Don’t worry about it.” McCree nodded, accepting his explanation, but he still felt a little bad. He could understand that frustration.

Things went better between them both for the next month or two. Between them and everything else, though? Not so much. One or both of them were consistently late or missing for their check-ins, causing mass concern through the base the first few times. The chores occasionally were finished when one of them is in the mood but they’re often not. They bought groceries in bulk, nearly cleaning out their monthly budget on junk food alone. Hanzo had picked up a video game console and several games with his own funds and played it near constantly, dragging McCree into it when his hand would hurting too bad to face a boss or other challenge.

Both men realized that they need to change their act, though, when they were woken up by the check-in call two hours late and could only report that they had literally sat on the couch playing video games since the last check in call. They cleaned up the living room first, then showered before returning to the couch and forming a plan. Hanzo started by planning out a regular schedule for them. They should wake up by 9 or 10 at the latest, they were free from work after all and they should be allowed to sleep in a bit. On Fridays, they should have their check-in call right after they wake to encourage themselves to wake up on time and keep it consistent. They should rotate out making breakfast then they should clean. Afterwards, they could lay about playing video games or other hobbies until dinner. McCree, meanwhile, set up a chore wheel, ensuring everything gets cleaned regularly and equally by both of them. “I think we can do this. It seems easy enough.” McCree said once they’ve laid out their plans on the dining table.

“I do not see how two grown men with extreme combat training and years of self-discipline cannot follow a simple schedule like this.” Hanzo agreed.

The schedule only lasted a week. One good week before they decided to take a day off and they ended up forgetting little things and the plan crumbled. They really messed up when Hanzo started on a long quest in his game and refused to rest until it was finished. McCree stayed with him for moral and controller support. The night begian with a liter of soda on each end of the couch, for each of them, and delivered pizza on the coffee table. Then it lead to one empty and one quarter full liter of soda on the floor, McCree passed out on the couch, empty pizza boxes, and Hanzo giving in to exhaustion around 5am.

Four hours later, their alarms blared through the room. McCree tossed his comm across the room and rolled over to face the back of the couch and covered his head with the pillow. Hanzo prodded at him with his foot from the floor “Jesse. Jesse!! Go turn your fuckin’ alarm off!” McCree didn’t move and Hanzo would think he had fallen back asleep if it wasn’t for the slightly too rapid breathing he could see in McCree’s chest. He got up, stretching and groaning, before scooping up the comm and turning the alarm off. He shuffled to the kitchen to get water and messily pour out some bowls of cereal. He thought to himself that maybe after he settled his growling stomach, he should go back to sleep in his own bed. He left McCree’s cereal on the coffee table with a helpful “Breakfast.” before shuffling to his own room while eating.

A few hours later, better rested, he returned from his room to find McCree in the exact same position as before. He looked down at the coffee table to find the bowl gross with the same amount of now incredibly soggy cereal as he left it. He watched McCree’s chest again to find that he was still not asleep. He put a hand on McCree’s shoulder and shook lightly “Jesse. You cannot pout all day. You have to get up sometime.” McCree practically hissed in response to the movement and curled up tighter. It’s then that Hanzo noticed just how tightly McCree was holding the pillow to his head. He looked around at the mess of the room and processed the repercussions of an excess of late night soda, minimal water, and lack of sleep.

Quickly, he moved to go dump out the bowl in the sink, set it down as gently as possible in the dishwasher, and returned to the living room to close all the blinds and turn the lights off. Once it was appropriately dark, he returned to McCree and softly tugged on the pillow “I turned off the lights, don’t worry.” McCree lifted it up just slightly before trusting his statement and, moving slowly, slid the pillow under his head instead. He readjusted to lay on his back and Hanzo got a brief glance at the wet smear across his face before McCree laid his arm over his eyes. He chose to ignore it for now and instead retrieved pain relievers, water, and a cool rag.

Once McCree was nice and set up in the living room with the comm set as dark as it could go and in easy reach if McCree needed to call for him, Hanzo quietly moved to his room. He stuffed a shirt under the door to try and muffle any excess noise and set his comm up to call Winston for their check in. Winston did not seem upset that he was late today when he explained McCree’s unexpected migraine but he definitely felt guilty for mostly instigating it. Winston ended the call early so that Hanzo was free to watch over McCree and so that Mercy could not come and yell at him for their dumb mistake.

After a few hours, he left his room to check on the other. He found him still lying on the couch but some of the water and pills were gone. He got a fresh rag and lifted McCree’s arm to lay it across his face. McCree’s eyes fluttered open once his arm isn’t in the way and he looked at Hanzo. Frozen by his stare, Hanzo felt a new surge of guilt at the terribly bloodshot look of McCree’s right eye. McCree’s eyes closed quickly and Hanzo stuttered back into motion, folding the rag in half and laying it down across the other’s eyes and forehead. He moved to stand and leave but, surprisingly quickly for someone who can’t see, his arm was grabbed.

“Stay.” McCree croaked. His voice dry and unused. “I don’t like layin’ here alone.” Hanzo’s breath hitched, softly, briefly, before he nodded, then remembered his words.

“Yeah. I can stay.” McCree sighed in relief and let go before shifting his ass to the armrest of the couch, his legs dangling over the side. It did not look very comfortable so when he sat down, he nudged McCree to scooch back up and rest his head in Hanzo’s lap. Without a comm to play with or something else to do with his hands, he began petting McCree’s hair softly. The other man sighed in relief. He turned so that his back was against the opposite armrest McCree’s feet were on so he could play with McCree’s hair more attentively and braid it loosely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hanzo. You never even wake up on time. How do you expect to take care of a little pup who needs a consistent schedule to run on?” McCree asked, exasperated at the other’s blind adoration of the small, _for now_ McCree added mentally, black and brown Rottweiler puppy. He had to admit that the dog was super cute, though he wouldn’t admit it. That would only encourage Hanzo. He seemed pretty determined to get the dog anyways. McCree could tell by the way Hanzo picked up the dog, decidedly ignored him, and took it to the handler to ask questions. It had been a month since his migraine and they had fallen into a somewhat steady system. They still could not wake up in the mornings and chores sometimes took longer than intended but something about that migraine event triggered a shift in both their attitudes about self-care.

McCree sighed and pulled open their shared calendar and alarms app on his phone to add regular walks, potty trainings, feedings, and all to it. He was not an expert at keeping to a schedule himself so he had no ground to stand on in an argument. He could just hope that the alarms would work. Hanzo glanced back at him and made the puppy’s paw wave. McCree explained away the spike in his heart rate as just him falling for the little puppy and not Hanzo’s adorable actions. Hanzo refused to set the dog down the whole time he was signing the papers and paying, despite the dog squirming desperately for freedom to wander.

McCree sauntered over with a sigh and scooped up the puppy when Hanzo nearly dropped him for the third time. “You can have him back when you’re done with your paperwork. I’m gonna get started on rounding up puppy stuff.” He carried little _Bӓrchen_ as Hanzo cooed before McCree pulled him away to a store cart and gently set him down in the child seat. He sat nicely and yipped only once at McCree. Struck again by the cuteness, McCree gave in and pet Bӓrchen “Be a good boy, now, and we’ll get ya lots of goodies.” He started strolling through the whole puppy section, adding a kennel, some baby gates, food bowls, and other necessities to the cart. Bӓrchen was good the whole time, only jumping up and trying to escape when Hanzo arrived with an armful of toys and a leash and collar. He quickly dropped the toys in the cart and scooped up the dog to coo at him before the dog could jump out of the cart towards him.

McCree rolled his eyes but smiled anyways at the precious sight and went ahead to get food and treats. Hanzo insisted on getting another employee and grilling them to find out the best food options for Bӓrchen. When they finally loaded up the cart, McCree looked at their haul with his arms crossed over the push bar “I don’t think this will fit in our food budget. I’m not even sure it’ll fit in our car.” Hanzo laughed.

“Don’t worry. I am using my own money for these expenses. I have enough. _And I’d give it all to you, my Bӓrchen. You deserve it more than an ex-yakuza fratricidal disaster, yes you do._ ” Hanzo baby talking sent McCree into a fit of laughter that edged on too loud especially when Hanzo referred to himself in such a way. Hanzo gave him that knowing smile of someone who was aware at how good their joke was and McCree gave him a small playful shove for it. He pushed their cart to the front of the store, pretending to ignore Hanzo out of embarrassment once he realized _how much_ attention he had gathered. 

Hanzo sidled right up to him, Bӓrchen following on the new leash, “Jesse.” He tried but McCree ignored him. “McCree.” he tried again. McCree’s eyes glanced over briefly before reorienting forwards. “Jesse, why was six afraid of seven?” He tried again, McCree’s jaw tightened against the chuckle, knowing the joke already but unable to resist it, but Hanzo continued. “Because seven ate nine, bitch.” The bad joke, combined with the friendly insult and blunt delivery broke McCree’s walls. 

He stopped the cart in the middle of the aisle and cracked up again, laughter booming out in waves “Ho- holy fucking shit!” He took a breath and his laughter quieted down to a chuckle “Mother Mary and Joseph, Hanzo, that’s not fair!” He smacked the other’s arm playfully with his hat, but missed the way Hanzo was trying to hide in his jacket. McCree cracking up like that was so goddamn cute. Hanzo never felt so gay before. He viciously shoved those thoughts to a corner of his mind and shook the leash in McCree’s direction.

“Attack, Bӓrchen.” Bӓrchen just sat on the floor, staring up at the two amicably. He was a bit on the fluffier side, possibly mixed with something else being a rescue, so his cuteness was bumped up another step. His little head tilted as a bird started screeching somewhere in the store and it melted both McCree and Hanzo’s hearts simultaneously. Hanzo scooped him up before cracking open the bag of treats to give him one on the way to the register.

McCree opened his mouth to tease Hanzo until he noticed the sudden ease in which Hanzo reacted to the friendly chatter at the check out. He even was convinced to sign up for a rewards card so he could get special rewards for Bӓrchen. Hanzo was usually more reserved in public and refused to register for anything that could possibly be linked to him but something about Bӓrchen broke that last little wall and allowed Hanzo the comfort to chat with people other than those he was incredibly close to.

McCree drove them back home, Bӓrchen’s bags of supplies filling the back seat and overflowing a bit into the back seats and the dog himself in Hanzo’s lap peacefully and politely. McCree eventually gave in again and reached over to give Bӓrchen a scratch as well “What do you think Winston’ll say when we tell him?” He asked conversationally but Hanzo only chuckles in response.

“I don’t think he will be too happy we missed our check in because we were getting a dog.” Hanzo added and McCree looked at the dashboard’s clock. Realizing that yes, they had very much missed their check in, McCree cursed and started pushing the speed limit a bit. Hanzo pulled Bӓrchen close “McCree, if you crash us, I will murder you.” The calm delivery pulled a chuckle out of McCree.

“Don’t worry, darlin’. I got skills. I just want to make sure we get back before they send a damn search party to hunt us down.” Both men laugh at the idea, knowing Winston had not so jokingly brought it up before. If they checked in a little more closely to the schedule afterwards, no one said anything about it. Today was different, though, Hanzo had seen Bӓrchen on the news when they covered the local store’s “Adoption Day Event” and had nudged McCree awake, saying he _needed_ this dog. McCree was sympathetic, remembering Hanzo’s desire for a dog from when they first moved in, and went along to make sure Hanzo brought home just _one_ dog.

When they got back, they were quick to hop on the shared computer in the living room and call Winston. They could tell that he was not pleased about the late call but could not be too mad at the adorable dog crawling across the men’s laps and yipping occasionally at the camera. He even added that “Maybe this will help you two get on a consistent schedule.” The call ended soon after, nothing much to report after that but a lot of set up to get started on.

McCree got up and headed to the back yard for his smoke and to watch Bӓrchen as he got familiar with the yard. Hanzo, meanwhile, puppy proofed the house, cleaning up, locking gates into place, and setting up other items. He joined McCree on the porch when he was finished, finding Bӓrchen thoroughly enjoying his automatic ball thrower. McCree was working on whittling in the meanwhile. He had told Hanzo before that it was a hobby in his youth but he had not done any in a long time. It was gentler on himself than video games too since there were no light screens to cause headaches.

“We should eat lunch soon.” Hanzo said softly after a few minutes. McCree scraped a couple more slices of wood off his current project, a handmade chess set, and set it on the table with the other pieces.

“That sounds mighty nice, what’re ya thinkin’ of havin’?” He glanced over at Hanzo but both men paused for a moment. They didn’t freeze. No, men like them don’t freeze, more like they were startled, by the softness of the moment. The absolute domesticity of their actions really sinking in. Neither man had ever really reached this level of comfort before. At the base, there was always an underlying stress of being called out on a mission, someone else’s mission going wrong, or the whole program getting caught and shut down. Before that, on the run, domesticity was made impossible with no consistent place to call home. Before that, neither man lived a gentle or domestic childhood.

Hanzo stood, turning towards Bӓrchen stiffly and calling for him. It took a few tries but the puppy began to recognize his name and trotted over to Hanzo. McCree stayed seated while they go inside, not wanting to prolong this new feeling. He was perfectly happy to be retired but getting comfortable had always meant death. Disconnecting that association was difficult. Instead, he headed around the side of the house to chop some wood. He needed more wood pieces to carve anyways and, every once and a while, they would chop some wood to stock up before winter. He only reentered the house when Hanzo sent him a message that lunch is on the kitchen counter. Hearing Hanzo muttering to Bӓrchen through the door to Hanzo’s room, McCree assumed they’re bonding and headed to his own room to try and relax and enjoy his sandwich.

Hanzo found talking to Bӓrchen relaxing. It was nice to pet something and vent your feelings knowing it cannot repeat them but was also not burdened by the emotional weight of the words. He set up Bӓrchen’s bed next to his and found the box of puppy pads to spread in the bathroom and in front of the door. It was only lunch time and Bӓrchen had just been outside but he wanted to be careful. Bӓrchen shook the collar around his neck. The television played softly in the background, giving Hanzo some noise to drown out his background thoughts and running anxiety. Maybe it was not so bad to be comfortable with McCree, to find a calm domesticity with him. He checked on the security measures that he could access from his room. At least both men were on the same page when it came to security needs and McCree wouldn’t think he was weird for any panic attacks or PTSD since he got them as well. They also took care of each other when his wrist ached or McCree’s eyes or head started hurting.

 _We work well together._ was the last thought he has, curled up on the bed with Bӓrchen, before accidentally falling asleep. He woke briefly when McCree opened the door but McCree just waved a hand at him, telling him not to worry, as he took Bӓrchen out to relieve himself. Hanzo tried to go back to sleep but found it useless and instead moved to the kitchen to start on dinner in thanks for McCree helping out with new dog tasks. McCree returned and they managed a strangely quiet dinner in the dining room together rather than in their rooms.

Later, in the backyard, McCree was whittling down the new chucks of wood to more workable sizes and whistling to himself. The firepit crackled when Hanzo added a new log and Bӓrchen sat in his lap. Hanzo closed his eyes to take in the warm moment, enjoy it rather than fear it, and found the peace quite soothing. He glanced over at McCree and watched him set his tools aside and stretch out. McCree gave him a playful wink and settled in to enjoy the moment as well. They could make this work. They could relax. It was possible for men like them, with a little effort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week later, laughing again at some terrible joke Hanzo had made, McCree found himself stunned by the thought that scurries through his mind. _He’s so cute._ His practiced poker face reveals nothing of his shock to Hanzo but his mind had latched onto the thought and was now turning it over, trying to figure out where it came from. Hanzo’s terrible jokes had made him laugh plenty in the past couple months, let alone in the time they were friends before. What had changed? He couldn’t figure it out so he shoved the thought aside to continue shopping with Hanzo.

They gathered everything they need, Hanzo telling McCree about the pros and cons of signing Bӓrchen up to be his service dog. Next, they headed to the pharmacy and pick up their prescriptions before heading home to check in with Winston. Once their errands were finished, they relaxed. Bӓrchen laid on Hanzo’s feet, already visibly a little bigger, as he powered up his game system and scrolled through his library. He settled on an older game when McCree sat down on the couch next to him with their several different medicines and two glasses of water. Hanzo chuckled at the juxtaposition of them taking their antidepressants as We Happy Few loaded up and explained the humor of it to McCree.

McCree watched him play for a while before moving out into the yard to let Bӓrchen out and smoke. He rubbed the slight bump under his shirt made by his T patch and sighed, suddenly feeling self conscious about putting on and taking off his patch in front of Hanzo. The strangest part was he had never before felt the need to hide his identity. He was long grown out of that phase of screaming it from the rooftops but he didn’t actively hide it. He wasn’t sure that Hanzo knew though. Bӓrchen ran up with his ball and it shook McCree from his thoughts. He flicked on the automatic ball thrower and returned to his whittling to occupy his hands and mind.

Playing games alone was fun but Hanzo found himself missing McCree’s company. Once, he tried to make a joke about the dialogue but remembered as he opened his mouth that McCree was outside. His jaw shut with a click and he tried to focus on the game again. Getting frustrated with a puzzle he could not remember how to solve, he eventually shut the game down and switched to his handheld gaming device. It was a newer model but the game store had recently added many old games and Hanzo had downloaded almost as many as the small machine could hold. He joined McCree on the porch, mumbling something about needing fresh air and watching Bӓrchen. McCree just gave him a soft smile.

Both men silently enjoy their hobbies, lost in their own worlds. Bӓrchen eventually came and laid down next to Hanzo’s feet and Hanzo leaned over to pet him, one hand still trying to direct the game’s controller. McCree scratched the place above his patch once more and opened his mouth to start speaking but Hanzo lifted his head suddenly “Did you want to- ...Were you going to say something?” He cut himself off when he noticed McCree’s posture but McCree just shook his head.

“No. Don’t worry about it, what were ya gonna say?” He looked back down at the project in his hands holding it just a little tighter than before. Hanzo read the clear signs not to press on it and continued his question instead.

“I was going to ask if you wanted to go out to dinner tonight?” McCree chuckled conspiratorially and looked at Hanzo out of the corner of his eye.

“Like on a date?” tumbled out of his mouth before he had time to catch it. He bit the inside of his cheek hard but Hanzo just laughed. Wow, that would have hurt McCree’s feelings if it hadn’t been even cuter than his jokes. McCree looked down at his project again, no longer really _seeing_ it as he was too focused on keeping himself from blushing.

“No. Just something different. Our routine is nice but I wish to try something new every once and a while.” He clarified once his laughter stopped.

“I hear ya, pumpkin.” McCree sighed and set his woodworking down to grab his hat. “You try every food in the world and suddenly, homemade cookin’ just aint enough.” He stood and winked “Sometimes.” He added before holding a hand out to Hanzo. Hanzo hoped that the warmth in his face was from the afternoon sun and not a blush as he took the offered hand and followed McCree inside.

Once Bӓrchen was in his crate with water and toys, Hanzo and McCree got dressed and headed out to the car. They drove around town arguing which exotic food was better and what restaurants looked good to try. They eventually settled on a Peruvian place, with enough spice for McCree and enough options for Hanzo to be picky. It wasn’t really an elitism kind of picky, McCree had slowly realized over the time they lived together. It was mostly just that he was a picky eater. The most vegetables McCree had convinced him to eat was when he made croquettes and had diced a few carrots and celery into small enough chunks that they were hidden.

After dinner, McCree was giggling over his drink at a story Hanzo told of Genji trying to take care of stray cats when they were young and horribly failing at hiding them from anybody. McCree rested his head on his chin. “Reminds me of a cat that hung around the camp for a while in Deadlock.” His eyes got a little distant and Hanzo drunkenly leaned in. “We didn’t know why he was there or why he followed us but he stuck around for a while. Liked sleepin’ in my hat. We named him “Garbage” ‘cause that’s what a fuckton of dumbass teens and twenty-somethings name a cat.” He laughed along with Hanzo and took a gulp of his drink. “Then one morning, I wake up and he’s meowin’ up a storm on my serape. I go over to shut him up before the other guys can start throwin’ beer cans at us, right? It turns out Garbage was a girl and was givin’ birth right there in the middle of camp!” Hanzo laughed but McCree suddenly stared at his drink, looking somber. “They started callin’ him Jesse Jr. after that.” He adds, quieter.

“W-” Hanzo started but interrupts himself with a burp. He groaned at the displeased roll his stomach gave but returned his attention to McCree who is downing the last of his whiskey. “Why did they call it Jesse Jr.?” McCree didn’t answer or look at Hanzo. Instead, he closed out the tab, which Hanzo was thankful for. They needed to stop drinking before they make themselves sick and Hanzo was almost there. He followed McCree outside, both men stumbling through the crowd, hoping to get his answer there but McCree just hopped in the car and set up the auto drive. He got in the passenger seat and decided not to press it, focusing instead on breathing through his sickness. Something nagged at the back of his head, telling him that he knew the answer, but he couldn’t find it in his drunken haze.

Hanzo woke up to Bӓrchen barking and McCree setting him down on the couch before throwing a blanket over him. He tried to get up until he heard the crate and back door open. “McCree’s got it.” was his last thought before he fell asleep. He dreamt of nothing but fleeting images disconnected by time and feelings. He was left feeling sad right before he woke but he couldn’t understand why.

When he did wake, though, he felt horribly hungover. He groped for the bedside table only to nearly knock water off of the coffee table. Right. He slept in the living room. Bӓrchen’s familiar weight shifted on his legs and he rolls as far as he was able in order to drink the water in a somewhat upright position. He set the now-empty glass back down and looked around. Bӓrchen had moved off of him in order to munch on his breakfast and it looks like McCree was outside with a nerf gun and some of Hanzo’s targets set up. He took his time getting fully upright on his feet.

Another cup of water and half a bagel later, he’s sitting on the porch watching McCree roll around with the toy gun. They were mostly isolated but they lived in a no hunting area so real gun shots would have scared people and attracted attention, neither of which they wanted. He mentally tried to walk himself through the previous night, trying to see how much he could remember. He nearly choked on the last of his bagel when McCree’s story about the cat clicks and his coughing alerted McCree to his presence.

Once he had calmed his breathing, McCree has joined him on the seat beside him and was toeing at the charred wood in their firepit. “Mornin’. You done hackin’ up a lung there?”

Hanzo laughed “Only if you’re done looking so depressed.” McCree startled but Hanzo just gave him a warm smile. “I have no opinion on what we discussed last night, drunk or otherwise, and if you do not want to talk about it then we do not have to. But, please, stop looking like a kicked puppy.” The tension around McCree finally dropped a bit and he sighed as he sat next to Hanzo.

“That obvious, huh?” He reached into his pockets and pulled out a cigarillo. “I just hadn’t told ya before and wasn’t sure if ya knew. People are more friendly now-and-days but you never know who’ll give you shit for it.” He light the cigarillo with a small snarl on his face. “Fuckin’ bastards.” Hanzo stared for a moment, unsure of what to say. Eventually realizing there was nothing he could say, he just nodded.

“I do not mind at all McCree.” Hanzo started. He thought about his next words carefully, brushing aside several unwelcome comments of how McCree was “just as handsome”. “You are still my good friend. Same as before. Same as… I hope you will always be.” He tried to hold in the fear of how open and honest he was being and quickly changed the subject. “Now.” He stood and held out his hand like McCree did the previous day “What does a thesaurus eat for breakfast?” McCree laughs and takes his help to stand.

“What?” He said as he snuffed out his cigarillo and tucked it away.

“A synonym roll.” Hanzo finished with a smirk and McCree let out a booming laugh. Suppressing his own laughter, Hanzo continued “Laughing at me? How rude, McCree. And I came out here to tell you how egg-cellent you looked today.” McCree snorted and both smiles grew.

“You must be yolk-ing.” McCree tried and this time Hanzo laughed. “Is this your way of tellin’ me you want breakfast?”

Hanzo nodded “I donut know what I would do without you.”

McCree held his hands up “Woah, now, pardner.” Hanzo worried slightly that he took it too far until he saw the tell-tale twitch at the edges of McCree’s lips “I don’t think I’m bread-y for that kind of commitment.” Both men laughed and shoved at each other on their way inside and end up sharing the burden of cooking. They moved around each other almost seamlessly like they did on the battlefield. After breakfast, they returned to the yard, challenging each other with the nerf weapons and eventually giving in and having a full on play-war, targets forgotten.

Around lunch time, a cold wind blew in rain clouds and they had to tear down the nerf setup. They ended up spending the rest of the afternoon on the couch playing video games or watching tv. Somehow during this, they had gravitated towards each other and were now sharing one blanket, passing the game controller back and forth between levels. McCree landed a skilled shot and he turned to Hanzo in his excitement only to be struck by how lovely the other man looked. Hanzo’s face was angled towards the screen, watching the cinematic. Lit up by the screen, it casted stark shadows across his face. Behind him, the rain poured across their yard giving off a dark blue glow. Bӓrchen laid across both their laps, keeping them pinned together and warm.

Hanzo looked over at him and seemed to get caught up in the spell as well. He felt McCree’s warm breath ghost across his cheeks and resisted the urge to lean in by turning his head quickly “You’re going to die if you keep staring at me.” He warned McCree. McCree startled back into action but a moment too late. Hanzo just took the controller from McCree’s hands and grumbled something about watching tv instead. McCree just let him switch it over and sank back into his thoughts instead. He found Hanzo attractive, romantically so, there was no question anymore. There was no platonic way to stare at your friend like a romantic fool.

It seemed like Hanzo was not entirely upset by this either, though. McCree ignored the tv for a whole episode of whatever Hanzo put on before he suddenly snatched the controller back. The motion was enough to startle Bӓrchen who hopped off and moved somewhere less mobile to lay back down. He let out a small apology to the dog and turned to Hanzo who has scooched all the way to the other end of the couch and was now giving him a confused glare. McCree paused the show and huffed “What?”

“Why did you do that? Do you not like what I put on?” Hanzo snapped and McCree rolled his eyes.

“You know this isn’t about that.” He started. “What was that? That look you gave me?”

“What?” Hanzo feigned ignorance “Right now? Annoyance. The one earlier when I caught _you_ staring at _me_?” He didn’t answer his own question this time, clearly implying McCree owed him an explanation first. McCree sighed and looked at the floor.

“Earlier, yeah. I… I was just lookin’ over cause I was excited.” He rubbed his face, might as well be honest, that’s what got them this far in their friendship. “Then I saw you. And the rain behind ya. And… And I’ll be honest!” He looked back up at Hanzo but quickly looked away again “You looked mighty nice all curled up there with yer dog and yer.. Face.” He huffed, frustrated for the lack of words. A small wave of relief washes through him when Hanzo can’t contain a small chuckle.

“My face? You’re such a romantic, McCree.” He bit his lip briefly “I think I understand, though. Your… face was not bad either. I just” He paused again but got spurred on thinking of all the wonderful times he has had with McCree so far “I am unsure of your feelings, and I got scared.” McCree nodded.

“I feel the same way, Hanzo.” He set the controller down and turned to face Hanzo completely. “Look, it’s been, three or four months since we moved in? So we only got a couple more before we don’t have to stay here. I’m gonna be completely honest with ya, Hanzo. I don’t wanna fuck around and play the does-he-doesn’t-he game.” Hanzo debated cutting in but McCree wasn’t giving him an opening. “Yer my best friend and it’ll fuckin’ suck if I lose ya. But I can’t help this and if you need to leave me,” His voice betrayed his calm look, unable to hide his broken parts, being left in the past “then I understand. But here it goes.” He took a deep breath. This was for the better. Talking about it like adults would be better than longing and possibly running a wedge through their friendship. “I like ya, Hanzo. Fuck, you’re… you’re a fantastic guy! You’re smart as a whip but you’re real gentle like and you’re funny as shit. It doesn’t hurt that you’re sculpted out of goddamned marble. You mean so much to me and I want to mean more to you but I understand if you just wanna be friends. That’ll be good enough for me.” He said but he was not looking at Hanzo. Instead he was picking at the ratty, torn edge of his pants, the slight clicks of seams ripping as he pulls on it.

Hanzo took a moment to process this before he started on his part. “You are my best friend too, Jesse. I… would not have made it this far without you.” He turned to mirror McCree’s position, both men facing each other fully even if their eyes weren’t meeting. “I think you’re handsome. You’re strong and capable as well.” He slowly reached out to stop McCree’s hands. Silence nearly drowned him before he made his throat work again “I want to try this. With you. But if… if something goes wrong. I… I need to know that you will stay, Jesse. This-” His breath hitched “This can’t be something you or I will run away from. You’re my best friend first.” McCree nodded eagerly and grabed Hanzo’s hands.

“I’ll always be wherever ya want me, darlin’.” He chuckled at the side-eye Hanzo gave him for that. “I mean it. I wanna try this too, but, only if we can still be friends.” He’s blessed with a smile from Hanzo and moved towards him on the couch. “May… May I kiss you?” His expression, suddenly so serious and sincere, moved Hanzo and he nods, chuckling because it was not like he would have resisted anyways. They leaned in and, despite actively going for it, both startled slightly at the first brush of lips against each other. They pressed in again, slotting against each other with ease.

McCree hummed, thrilled by the soft but intense kiss. Hanzo moved his hands to McCree’s shoulders to pull himself closer and McCree lifted him up into his lap. Hanzo broke the kiss to let out a surprised gasp then he chuckled before diving in for more kisses. They stayed very chaste, tongues remaining in their own mouths, but Hanzo managed to pin McCree down on the couch and lay across his chest. His ears strained to catch every gasp and hum McCree made under the drum of rain and thunder outside. He only broke away to look at McCree’s face when Bӓrchen came up and licked at their faces.

Staring up at him like he was an angel, McCree caught his breath and ran his hands through Hanzo’s hair and down his back. He wrapped them tightly around the other and pulled him in close. “Love ya, Hanzo.” He muttered softly. Hanzo hummed and whispers a returning sentiment into his ear before they turned the show back on and actually enjoyed themselves this time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fareeha’s phone buzzed and she hopped off the couch “GENJI!” Her shout startles the others in the room. She continued, yelling about how Genji owes her $20. Mei, Winston, and Zarya all share confused glances in the room that she just fled from but several minutes later, the screaming returned, now doubled with Genji joining in. Winston stood to remind them about indoor voices when suddenly Fareeha’s comm was shoved in his face. He huffed and looked at it to see McCree’s and Hanzo’s hands on the screen, folded over each other, fingers intertwined. He gasped when he saw the glittering silver bands wrapped around their fingers. Mei and Zarya quickly looked over his shoulders to see what was so shocking.

McCree chuckled at his and Hanzo’s comms which were vibrating on the table so hard and consistently with the neverending notifications that they were about to fall off. “I don’t think they’re very happy we didn’t call ‘em.” Hanzo hummed and wrapped his arms around McCree’s stomach.

“I don’t rightly care. If you had, I wouldn’t be able to do this.” He turned McCree around to kiss him long and deep. He had proposed to McCree moments ago and was still running on the high of McCree saying yes. McCree had gone out to their yard to work on the garden he built and he had sent out one of their now three dogs with a sandwich, wrapped up of course, and a note. He was worried McCree would think it was too cheesy but the man just yelled endearments at him when he caught Hanzo watching through the window. Their second dog was sent out with another note that was even more stuffed with memories and love for McCree. McCree just laughed and headed inside to find Hanzo and ask for an explanation only to find him on one knee with a little ring box open and balanced on Bӓrchen’s head.

McCree had immediately told Fareeha about it after they managed to break from the kiss to actually get the rings _on_. Now, they enjoy another kiss and scoop up their comms to move to Hanzo’s “office”, actually a game room, to set up a call with everyone. They only had one chair in the room so McCree got pulled into Hanzo’s lap and he wrapped his arms around Hanzo’s shoulders to kiss his cheek and ear while Hanzo pulled up the call with all of Overwatch that Fareeha and Genji could gather on such short notice. They were greeted with cheers and sibling disgust when Hanzo and McCree appeared on screen fully making out again. They stopped when laughing at their siblings became too much to continue and they chatted with the team for a while.

It had been two years since Hanzo and McCree were dismissed from service. Half a year was spent at the now dubbed “Overwatch Retirement Home” ever since Jack, Ana, and Reinhardt went to it. Then they moved into their own place a little southwest of the home on the rim of Lake Coeur d’Alene. They had gotten two more dogs, huskies named Taurus and Bella, because Bӓrchen was, according to McCree, lonely. They both had picked them out together and now they’re all referred to as McCree and Hanzo’s “children” by most their friends and family. They had made sure the yard was big enough for all three dogs to run and play and it even had a small pathway down to the lake.

The house was a bit big for just the two men but the basement was the right size for McCree’s more elaborate woodworking projects that he sold on Etsy and Hanzo’s office was just a gaming setup designed by Hana. He often streamed with her and had his own channel now with a small following. Every once and a while, he would still bring on McCree for help or just to show off McCree’s work. He always seemed to get a little bump in his viewers on those days, his fans adoring how cute the two former-Overwatch acted around each other.

What they missed out on, was how not cute their arguments were. Planning a wedding was not simple and not cheap and Hanzo and McCree seemed to have opposing ideas about how it should go. McCree, despite no longer having a bounty, wanted to just go down to city hall and sign a paper and retreat back home quickly. Hanzo, meanwhile, wanted to celebrate in his freedom of choice, having been raised to believe his bride or husband would be chosen for him, and demanded they at least _have a wedding_ if not the big one he originally set his heart on. They eventually worked something out.

The wedding was set up in their backyard, by the lakeside. Jack, Ana, and Reinhardt came early to help set up decorations and fold paper flowers. Genji helped Hanzo get dressed and Fareeha helped McCree. It was difficult to keep both men apart, both anxious and excited to see the other. In the end, McCree had to be dragged out to the Retirement Home to get ready because Fareeha and Genji were having trouble maneuvering Hanzo and McCree’s house without the grooms catching glimpses of each other, both familiar with the building and knowing which way to look.

When McCree returned, he found the whole beach set up with white plastic chairs, ribbons and purple flowers everywhere. There were two poles wrapped in leaves and vines on either side of Winston at the front of the set up as the archway. Winston was dressed up in the suit he wore to pardon and discharge Hanzo and McCree and it made McCree teary eyed. They had come so far, neither men believing this day to be in their future. They had spent years fighting demons, internal and external, struggling to find a light, a hope. Now, it was found. They didn’t have to fight anymore. They had each other. A rock to lean on. A steady home.

Taurus and Bella act as flower girls, padding down the aisle with little flower crowns and baskets in their mouths. Halfway down, Bella shakes, knocking off the crown and dumping out most of the flowers. Ana is quick to gather up the crown, usher the dogs to the front, and spread out the flowers for now. Hanzo was first to walk with Genji alongside him. Neither man really had a father to walk them down so they never even considered anything other than having their siblings, adopted or biological, walk them down the aisle. 

Fareeha tried to bring McCree out to start on his walk but he was stunned, frozen. Hanzo was dressed to the nines. A tight fitting blue suit with a scale-like design on the vest. McCree had seen this suit before but never in a context he could really look and enjoy it and never with the sleeves rolled down and a suit jacket on top. Fareeha had to physically tug on his arm to pull him out of his daze but then had to physically hold him back from running up the aisle. The small group of friends and family gathered in the chairs chuckle at the two men gravitating towards each other and no one commented on the way McCree immediately slipped his arm into Hanzo’s when he reached the other and tucked in close to his side.

Winston started the ceremony, only breaking his “serious speech” face when Bӓrchen bounded down the aisle with a little pillow loosely stitched to his collar and two rings sewed on with a single stitch so they broke away easily when McCree and Hanzo reached down to grab them. They slid them on each other’s fingers, foreheads pressed together, and began their kiss before Winston even finished the sentence. Hanzo reached up, sliding his thumbs along McCree’s cheeks only to find wetness and he broke away just an inch to see why.

“You’re crying, what is wrong, my love?” He whispered, hushed but urgent to fix the problem. McCree chuckled lightly into their little bubble of space.

“Nothin’s wrong. This is perfect. You’re perfect, Hanzo. You’re my husband.” His chuckle grew, happy that this was his reality. He squatted a bit and wrapped his arms around Hanzo’s waist to lift him up and spin him “Yer my husband, darlin’!” He shouted above the catcalls and cheers from their friends and family. Hanzo could not help but join in on the laughter before leaning down and softly kissing McCree again. They didn’t break until Genji and Fareeha each gave a light tug to their respective sibling’s hair and brought them back to their surroundings.

McCree and Hanzo thanked them all and brought everyone back inside their home for snacks and drinks, inseperable for the rest of the night. Eventually, all the younger, and more drunk, members and post-members of Overwatch were back on the beach now yelling and throwing some poppers and miniature crackers from the fourth of July box someone had dug out of the basement, at each other. Hanzo got shoved into the water and dragged McCree in when the other began laughing at him instead of helping him out. In the end, the older, more sober guests had to drag everyone back instead to dry and warm them up, the water having gotten cold when the sun fell. Hanzo and McCree woke up the next morning in a cuddle puddle consisting of them and their dogs on the kitchen floor.

They took their time getting up, kissing and whispering sweet endearments to each other in the quiet morning. They found everyone piled on couches or in spare rooms, still snoring away. They took the time to sneak out to the beach and go for another swim, first cooling off then warming up in the water as the sun rose. They got out and went back inside just before the others started waking up, congratulating them and giving love before heading back out to their own homes. Their siblings stayed for the day, catching up and enjoying the time spent together.

Once the house was empty again, they spent a whole day in their room, celebrating in a more private way. Their “honeymoon” was mostly just taking a boat out on the water to go tubing or fish together. They did not want to travel anywhere but mostly wanted to just stop working on their projects for a while and took the time to spend together. Later anniversaries would see them travelling to Hanamura, New Mexico, Tokyo, and travelling Europe, but their honeymoon was just for them. Just a home, two men, three dogs, and the love they shared.

Many, many years later, they reminisced on their wedding day. Sitting on long used lawn chairs on the beach, hands lightly intertwined between them. Two grey-haired men talked about the past and good times. The water lapped at their bare feet, pushing sand up onto them and burying their toes into the sun-warmed beach. McCree picked up a stick and throws it out onto the water, the white muzzled dog next to him lifted its head, glanced out at the stick, then laid his head back down with a huff. Both men laughed. They had lived a good life. They were happy.


End file.
